Another crusher for Cain

Righty brilliant in start, but bullpen blows it again

Giants fans, starving for some new hitter to be a star, watched a 24-year-old make his major-league debut Saturday by Will Clark-ing a liner up the middle and Barry Bonds-ing a homer over the brick wall in right.

John Bowker introduced himself in striking fashion to a China Basin crowd that cheered him after both hits and his seventh-inning exit as part of a double switch. But let the record show Matt Cain departed at the same point, and any Giants fan should know the horror that too often accompanies a well-pitched game by the gifted right-hander.

Cain threw six hitless innings, surrendered two runs in the seventh and left with a 5-2 lead over the Cardinals, only to sit back and watch his teammates turn it into an 8-7 loss in 10 innings.

Cain was a luckless pitcher last year, and the trend is continuing in 2008. In his first start, he threw 52/3 scoreless innings in Los Angeles, and the Giants were 3-2 losers. Saturday was worse, considering Cain had no-hit stuff and retired 18 of 20 batters over six innings, minus two walks.

"That's one we can't let get away for him, and we did," manager Bruce Bochy said. "The kid handled everything well. He had to deal with it last year. We had the game in hand, and we let it get away."

The Giants Ray Durham grounds out to third to end the game in the bottom of the 10 as the San Francisco Giants fall to the St. Louis Cardinals 8-7, at AT & T Ballpark in San Francsico, Calif. on April 12, 2008. Photo by Michael Macor/ San Francisco Chronicle less

The Giants Ray Durham grounds out to third to end the game in the bottom of the 10 as the San Francisco Giants fall to the St. Louis Cardinals 8-7, at AT & T Ballpark in San Francsico, Calif. on April 12, ... more

Photo: Michael Macor, SFC

Photo: Michael Macor, SFC

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The Giants Ray Durham grounds out to third to end the game in the bottom of the 10 as the San Francisco Giants fall to the St. Louis Cardinals 8-7, at AT & T Ballpark in San Francsico, Calif. on April 12, 2008. Photo by Michael Macor/ San Francisco Chronicle less

The Giants Ray Durham grounds out to third to end the game in the bottom of the 10 as the San Francisco Giants fall to the St. Louis Cardinals 8-7, at AT & T Ballpark in San Francsico, Calif. on April 12, ... more

Photo: Michael Macor, SFC

Another crusher for Cain

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Cain, who hit a home run to help the Giants top their previous high run total of five, had every right to tear apart the clubhouse, maybe even tear into his team. But like last year, he calmly stood at his locker, addressed the obvious (without putting anyone down) and moved on.

"It's about what we all do together," Cain said. "It doesn't matter if I get the win or the guy in the bullpen gets the win. If we win, we all win. If we lose, we all lose together. Today was a tough one. ... It's a loss for all of us that should never have happened. In the pitchers' minds, we feel if we have a five-run lead, we should be able to pull it off. It's a big no-no for us."

Speaking of a no-no, Cain's no-hit bit ended when Albert Pujols doubled to open the seventh. Cain faced five more batters, giving up run-scoring singles to Adam Kennedy and Rico Washington, before getting pulled.

The Giants answered with a two-run rally in the bottom of the ninth on RBIs by Rich Aurilia and Fred Lewis - who benefited from Pujols missing his hard grounder down the line - but the Cardinals staged another tie-breaking rally in the 10th, and Duncan's bases-loaded single off Erick Threets was the game-winner.

Cain "was pitching his heart out, and you want the starter to get the win," said Walker, who did not allow a run in his first five appearances. "It's tough to swallow right now. There's nothing I can find solace in."

Last year, Cain posted a 3.65 ERA (10th in the National League), yet the Giants were 9-23 in his starts, thanks to a bullpen that blew five of his leads and an offense that supported him with two or fewer runs in 21 of his starts.

Saturday marked the fourth game in which Cain brought a no-hit bid into the seventh inning, and the Giants have lost the past two. Asked if anyone consoled him, Cain said, "Nobody's going to say anything. I understand. We've all got a pretty good idea what we feel."